Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease which is known to be difficult to treat. Psoriasis is characterized by discrete and confluent, reddish, silvery-scaled maculopapules. These psoriatic lesions occur most often on the elbows, knees, trunk and scalp. Current treatment for psoriasis include the use of agents such as anthralin (dihydroxyanthralin), azarabine, colchicine, fluorouracil, methotrexate, methoxsalen (8-methoxypsoralen), resorcinol, retinoids (for example, retinoic acid), corticosteroids (for example, clobetasol propionate, trimcinolone acetonide and the like), cyclosporin, iodochlorhydroxyquin, salicyclic acid, vitamin D, dapsone, somatostatin, sulfur, tars and zinc oxide. Ultra-violet light treatment, alone or in combination with other agents such as psoralen (i.e., PUVA treatment), is also used to treat psoriasis.
There are reports that the activity of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system is enhanced in patients with psoriasis (Ena, et al., Acta Cardiologica XL 199 (1985); Ryder, et al., Clin. Chem. Acta 153 143 (1985)). However, there is no established cause and effect relationship between the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and psoriasis.
Renin is a proteolytic enzyme synthesized and stored principally in the specific part of the kidney called the juxtaglomerular apparatus. Inhibitors of renin have been disclosed as agents for the treatment of hypertension, congestive heart failure and glaucoma.